Personal, high-quality gift giving just got a whole lot easier here in Australia. This is not a sponsored post.

I’m guilty of bitching about the shopping in Australia when compared to the USA; “More expensive! “Less variety!” I don’t bring anything with me anymore when I visit my family in The States, surely they are sick of kangaroo keychains and mini jars of Vegemite.

Bindle is probably my perfect solution (for home and abroad) and if you are a busy person you will love this company too.Bindle is a boutique gift service and is currently the only exclusively Australian-made hamper business. All the products are sourced locally, including the boxes and wrapping. It’s awesome to shop local but these carefully selected products feel incredibly personal and thoughtful too. Let’s face it- sometimes we all get too busy to be thoughtful.I’m fascinated by people who risk stable careers to follow their passion and I was curious to learn more about owner Catherine Blackford aka Tat aka Blackers (you can tell she’s fun just by her nicknames) and how she came up with this game-changing gift business.

Catherine and her sidekick, Walter.

I learned Bindle was born from Tat’s passion for giving. In her friendship group Tat would always put her hand up to organise gifts (it would never be a voucher.) She would gather bits and pieces from various nooks and crannies around Melbourne because it meant every item had a story behind it. Creating a sense of place, story and timeline is ingrained in Blackford’s thought process because she has a degree in landscape architecture- it’s something she considers while selecting products for her packages.

“Giving something thoughtful and something special, it’s all about the reaction from the person that you give it too,” said Blackford.

Four years ago faced with a (boring) career in IT Tat started making gift packages on the side as a hobby. It’s called Bindle- and though it sounds like ‘bundle’ a bindle is the name of the stick and handkerchief combo that we’ve seen on cartoon hobos and the occasional Looney Tunes character.

“It’s the concept of having everything you need in a box for running away from home,” said Tat.

This folks, is a bindle on a stick.

As interest in her products grew she has happily found herself working on Bindle full-time for the last year and a half. The team has expanded from just herself to a total of five. The product range initially offered packages for a few different occasions and now they have a range of 40, everything from welcoming baby to “Man’s Best Friend” -for dogs of course.

Walter, CFO.

Tat has noticed a trend of people who are given Bindle gifts often turn around and order one for someone else. You can’t ask for a larger vote of confidence in the products than that.

Reasons Bindle is awesome.

The packages speak for themselves but the icing on the cake, or rather the bow on the bindle, is Catherine. I find it so incredibly inspiring to find a business woman who is so passionate and upbeat all while chasing the dream.

“Life is too short. Think about what you are passionate about and make your passion your paycheck,” said Blackford.

I asked Tat, the gift-giving guru, for advice when it comes to choosing the perfect present for someone. Her reply speaks to her success; “Think about what is going to bring a smile to the recipients face.”Get online and put a smile on someone’s face!